The Decision-Making Constraints and Processes of Grant Peer Review, and Their Effects on the Review Outcome

When distributing grants, research councils use peer expertise as a guarantee for supporting the best projects. However, there are no clear norms for assessments, and there may be a large variation in what criteria reviewers emphasize – and how they are emphasized. The determinants of peer review may therefore be accidental, in the sense that who reviews what research and how reviews are organized may determine outcomes. This chapter deals with how the review process affects the outcome of grant review. It is a reprint of a study of the multitude of review procedures practiced in The Research Council of Norway (RCN) in the 1990s. While it is outdated as an empirical study of the RCN, it provides some general insights into the dynamics of grant review panels and the effects of different ways of organising the decision-making in the panels. Notably, it is still one of the few in-depth studies of grant review processes based on direct observation of panel meetings and full access to applications and review documents. A central finding is that rating scales and budget restrictions are more important than review guidelines for the kind of criteria applied by the reviewers. The decision-making methods applied by the review panels when ranking proposals are found to have substantial effects on the outcome. Some ranking methods tend to support uncontroversial and safe projects, whereas other methods give better chances for scholarly pluralism and controversial research.

Application of Fuzzy Topsis and Taguchi Methods for Optimization Problems With Disruptive Risk

Ranking and choosing research projects and analyzing experiments are usually difficult and complex responsibilities for professional research councils at universities and research centers. Its complexity stems from having more than one variable in each project, and the participation of many decision-makers in the ranking process and selection of research projects based on many variables. The fuzzy set theory provides the required flexibility to show the uncertainty about the lack of knowledge, and also it can manage the uncertainty in the real world that the values of criteria are not defined properly. For this purpose, in the environment where the criteria of research projects are vaguely defined, the ranking methods such as Taguchi, which can reduce the number of experiments and making process more efficient, can be used for quality design in designing and processing product. In this work, first of all, the authors review fuzzy TOPSIS technique and the Taguchi method as well; then they approach research efficiency and optimization of the level of effective parameters in an experiment.

Interdisciplinary researchers attain better long-term funding performance

Interdisciplinary research is on the rise globally. Yet, several studies have shown that it often achieves lower impact compared to more specialized work, and is less likely to attract funding. Here, we seek to reconcile such evidence by analyzing 44,419 research grants awarded by the research councils in the UK. We find that researchers with an interdisciplinary funding track record dominate the network of academic collaborations, both in terms of centrality and knowledge brokerage, but such a competitive advantage does not translate into immediate return. Our results based on a matched pair analysis show that interdisciplinary researchers achieve lower impact with their publications in the short run; however, they eventually outperform their specialized counterparts in funding performance, both in terms of volume and value. These findings suggest that pursuing an interdisciplinary career may require perseverance to overcome extra challenges, but can pave the way for a more successful endeavor.

The Interdependence of Research Funding Concentration, Policy Priorities, and Problem Choice

The prioritisation of research funding towards a small elite of researchers and research topics of "strategic" importance are becoming a norm across national research systems. Researchers are increasingly worried that such steering hampers the diversity of scientific approaches and problems addressed. However, the effects of increased steering of who and what receives research funds are not well known. I use evidence from 65,000 research grants awarded by seven research councils in the United Kingdom and fifteen Danish research funders to investigate how strong funding concentration and thematic targeting leads to less topical diversity. Researchers in the very top of the funding distribution primarily investigate topics and disciplines with the most funding success, and research output form targeted funding schemes overlaps with that from investigatorledgrants. Moreover, priorities from private funders line up with the type of researchfunded by public research councils. The findings highlight how steering through funding decisions can multiply

Environmental health research needed to inform strategies, policies, and measures to manage the risks of anthropogenic climate change

Anthropogenic climate change is affecting population health and wellbeing worldwide. The two main policy options to prepare for and manage these risks are adaptation and mitigation; significantly increased investments in each are urgently needed. However, medical research councils worldwide have provided minuscule amounts of funding for environmental health research to provide timely and useful insights on effectively protecting vulnerable populations and regions, for building climate-resilient health systems, and for promoting health system-related greenhouse gas emission reductions in a changing climate.

Science Advice in the UK

This report examines the science advisory system in the UK, how it has changed and how it may develop further in the future. It looks at structure and functions within the UK Government (including the Government Chief Scientific Advisor, the Government Office for Science, government departments, scientific advisory committees - including SAGE - and the Science and Engineering Profession). It also describes science advice in the UK Parliament. The report looks at the role of public research funders, particularly UK Research and Innovation and its research councils, and it discusses how universities are responding to incentives to improve the supply of evidence and expertise. There are brief sections discussing the role of other actors (such as national academies, charities and industry) and discussion of some cross-cutting themes.

Beurteilung in Deutschland erhältlicher veganer Alleinfuttermittel für Hunde und Katzen

Zusammenfassung Gegenstand und Ziel Beurteilung veganer Alleinfuttermittel (AF) für adulte Katzen und Hunde sowie Überprüfung der Deklarationstreue. Material und Methoden Vier in Deutschland erhältliche vegane AF für Katzen und Hunde wurden auf ihre Nährstoffgehalte analysiert. Die benötigte Futtermenge wurde kalkulatorisch bestimmt und mit der Fütterungsempfehlung der Hersteller verglichen. Die Deklarationsangaben wurden auf die Einhaltung der Angaben aus der Verordnung (EG) 767/2009 überprüft. Eine Einschätzung der Versorgung mit Taurin und Vitaminen erfolgte anhand der Produktdeklarationen zu den ernährungsphysiologischen Zusatzstoffen. Ergebnisse Die Deklarationsangaben entsprachen vielfach den rechtlichen Vorgaben. Die Fütterungsempfehlung der Hersteller wich bei 2 von 4 AF deutlich von der kalkulierten Futtermenge ab und ergab eine Bedarfsdeckung von 64 bis 121 %. Die Zufuhr an einzelnen Mengen- und Spurenelementen lag beim adulten Hund 5,2- bis 8,2-fach, bei der adulten Katze 9,0- bzw. 11,4-fach über den Versorgungsempfehlungen. Die Vorgaben der European Pet Food Industry Federation wurden für die Rohprotein-, Rohfett- und Phosphorgehalte in jeweils einem Fall unterschritten, für Zink und Kupfer fanden sich sowohl Über- als auch Unterschreitungen der Empfehlungen. Eine Unterschreitung der Empfehlungen des National Research Councils (NRC) für den Zinkgehalt ergab sich bei einem AF. Die empfohlene Zufuhr an essenziellen Aminosäuren konnten die AF größtenteils abdecken; 2 AF deckten für Methionin und Cystin lediglich den Mindestbedarf ab, aber nicht die optimalen Versorgungsempfehlungen. Die Menge an zugesetztem Taurin entsprach nur bei einem AF für Katzen der empfohlenen Zufuhr. Die Empfehlungen für Vitamine konnten 3 AF über die Zusatzstoffe sicherstellen. Schlussfolgerung und klinische Relevanz Keines der veganen AF erfüllte uneingeschränkt die Empfehlungen zur Energie- und Nährstoffversorgung für adulte Hunde und Katzen. Somit können Mängel in der Zufuhr einzelner Nährstoffe bei langfristiger Fütterung der untersuchten AF nicht ausgeschlossen werden.

Research priority-setting for human, plant, and animal virology: an online experience for the Virology Institute of the Philippines

Background Viral pandemics have had catastrophic consequences on population health and economies. The Philippine government intends to establish the Virology Institute of the Philippines, one of the key areas of which will be virology research. This project aimed to develop the institute’s research agenda across the fields of human, plant, and animal virology. Methodology Key considerations for the prioritization methodology were (1) the imminent establishment of the Virology Institute of the Philippines, (2) mobility restrictions caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, (3) the timeline to develop the research agenda, and (4) the need to separate the research agenda for the three fields of human, plant, and animal virology. The process was fully conducted online in four steps: stakeholder identification, soliciting research priorities, generating initial research priorities, and final prioritization consultations conducted on Zoom Pro. Results Twenty-eight participants attended three online consultations between 21 and 27 July 2020 through Zoom Pro. Participants selected the research prioritization criteria and its weights, and used these to evaluate the research priorities. The final research agenda covers topics in epidemiology, diagnostics, surveillance, biosafety, and genomics. Conclusion This initiative resulted in the first research agenda for the Virology Institute of the Philippines across the three fields of human, plant, and animal virology. An expert-driven process which places a premium on consensus-building facilitated through online platforms was the most feasible approach to develop the research agenda. This process resulted in an agenda aligned with the mandates of national research councils but leaves gaps on areas such as emerging infectious diseases. Pre-COVID-19 literature expressed apprehensions on the online medium that weakens social ties necessary for consensus. Our experience with changing the mode of consensus-building shows that users will continually adapt to technology. Online tools are currently able to address the limitations of the virtual space.

In Memoriam: Professor George Thompson, OBE, DSc, FREng (1946–2020)

It is with deep sadness that we share the news that our dear friend and colleague, Professor George Edward Thompson, passed away after a long illness on the December 9, 2020. George was a towering presence in the light metal corrosion and protection field over his long career almost entirely based at UMIST and then at the University of Manchester. His exceptional talents were widely recognized throughout the worldwide corrosion community. His tireless commitment over more than 40 years was key to the success of the UMIST Corrosion and Protection Centre, and underpinned its reputation for excellence, both in the United Kingdom and internationally. The major financial support he gained from the U.K. research councils, the European Union, and industry was critical to its longevity. Of all his achievements, perhaps his greatest, was the opportunity he gave to the many MSc and PhD students and postdoctoral workers, to study with him at the Centre, and afterwards to establish themselves in careers in academia, industry, and elsewhere. He was generous with his time and support. There are many cherished memories that will remain forever in the hearts of everyone he worked with and these are reflected in the many deeply moving messages of condolence received by his family.

Unethical practices within medical research and publication – An exploratory study

The data produced by the scientific community impacts on academia, clinicians, and the general public; therefore, the scientific community and other regulatory bodies have been focussing on ethical codes of conduct. Despite the measures taken by several research councils, unethical research, publishing and/or reviewing behaviours still take place. This exploratory study considers some of the current unethical practices and the reasons behind them and explores the ways to discourage these within research and other professional disciplinary bodies. These interviews/discussions with PhD students, technicians, and academics/principal investigators (PIs) (N=110) were conducted mostly in European higher education institutions including UK, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Czech Republic and Netherlands.Through collegiate discussions, sharing experiences and by examining previously published/reported information, authors have identified several less reported behaviours. Some of these practices are mainly influenced either by the undue institutional expectations of research esteem or by changes in the journal review process. These malpractices can be divided in two categories relating to (a) methodological malpractices including data management, and (b) those that contravene publishing ethics. The former is mostly related to “committed bias”, by which the author selectively uses the data to suit their own hypothesis, methodological malpractice relates to selection of out-dated protocols that are not suited to the intended work. Although these are usually unintentional, incidences of intentional manipulations have been reported to authors of this study. For example, carrying out investigations without positive (or negative) controls; but including these from a previous study. Other methodological malpractices include unfair repetitions to gain statistical significance, or retrospective ethical approvals. In contrast, the publication related malpractices such as authorship malpractices, ethical clearance irregularities have also been reported. The findings also suggest a globalised approach with clear punitive measures for offenders is needed to tackle this problem.